1. Field of Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally to apparatus and methods for manufacturing printed circuit boards and for assisting a process of soldering metals to integrated circuit boards, and more particularly to a wave soldering machine and related method having an improved wave solder nozzle system adapted to better control the flow of solder when performing a solder application on a printed circuit board.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In the fabrication of printed circuit boards, electronic components can be mounted to a printed circuit board by a process known as “wave soldering.” In a typical wave solder machine, a printed circuit board is moved by a conveyor on an inclined path past a fluxing station, a pre-heating station, and finally a wave soldering station. At the wave soldering station, a wave of solder is caused to well upwardly (by means of a pump) through a wave solder nozzle and contact portions of the printed circuit board to be soldered.
For some time, the wave solder industry has been moving from tin/lead-based low melting point solders to lead-free higher melting temperature solders. The solder melting temperatures and processing temperatures are not able to be raised an equivalent level due to the temperature limits of the electronic devices being soldered. Utilization of solder pots and nozzles designed and optimized for tin/lead solders create limitations when applied to lead-free wave soldering. Conveyor speeds must be run slower with the lead-free solders to achieve an adequate solder joint reducing productivity and increasing defects. Additionally, thicker and thicker circuit board substrates are being developed that require additional heat and processing time. A better solution is desired to provide a solder nozzle system optimized for lead-free use.